Baruch has not lived up to of my expectations. I knew when I was going to start college, the workload would increase but not to such a high degree. At the beginning, it was extremely hard for me to make the transition into college mostly because of the difference in the workload the teachers give in high school than in college. I also didn’t expect to find so many business and accounting majors in the school. I knew that Baruch was business oriented; however, I didn’t think I would meet so many freshmen, who already know they are going to major in business management or marketing. Considering the liberal arts school at Baruch has many more majors to offer than the Zicklin, I have met very few students who plan to go in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences. I have also recently discovered that Baruch doesn’t offer a lot of time for a student to explore because if one plans to apply to the Zicklin School of Business, he or she are required to take a number of courses before the student is able to get in. This aspect of Baruch has really disappointed me and has even led me to consider transferring because I feel I need more time to explore in college before I choose a major that I know I’ll love and cherish.
I think my first semester went pretty well, even though I know I could better. I am satisfied with my current grades, considering that I had to transition and become accustomed to the workload. However, I feel that I have been improving throughout the course of the semester and I know I can do much better next semester because I have an idea of how it would be like.
I wouldn’t have taken five classes because I hate spreading myself too thin. I understand that in order to graduate in four years, one has to take at least five classes per semester. Despite this fact, I would have preferred taking four classes because then I would have been able to concentrate more on my classes and not have to worry about another class. Although it might take me a little longer to finish school, I preferred graduating with a high G.P.A. Also, the additional time will allow me to work or do internships, which I was unable to do this semester.
I don’t think I have dramatically changed, if anything, I would say I’m more educated in grammar and in government policy. Before, I didn’t really care about the rules of grammar; I just wrote whatever sounded right to my ears. However, my English professor gave me some insight of the mechanics of grammar and I understand it more clearly than before. Moreover, I became more outgoing in trying to do things for myself and no longer depending on problems to just magically disappear. I am also more open to other ideas and perspectives because of the diversity in Baruch. My high school consisted mostly of only Hispanics; however, I was exposed to different cultures and religions.
